How to stop diarrhoea in a child

How to Treat Diarrhea in Kids – Children's Health

Nothing can slow down a child's fun – or interfere with family plans – more than a case of diarrhea. Diarrhea is a common condition that occurs when stool has too much water in it.

"The colon is designed to absorb water so that the stool has form and consistency. At times, the stool absorbs too much water, resulting in diarrhea,” explains Lauren Lazar, M.D., Pediatric Gastroenterologist with Children's Health℠ and Assistant Professor at UT Southwestern. "If your child has a loose or liquid stool at least three or more times per day, it's probably diarrhea.”

The best treatment for your child's diarrhea may depend on its cause, but there are ways to provide relief from diarrhea symptoms. Learn how to treat diarrhea in kids, including advice on anti-diarrheal medicines, home remedies and the best foods to give your child.

What can cause diarrhea in kids?

Usually, when children get diarrhea, it's considered "acute,” meaning it lasts from a few days up to a week. The most common cause of acute diarrhea is some sort of infection, whether viral, bacterial or parasitic.

Beyond stomach bugs, diarrhea in kids can also be triggered by other issues, including:

Food allergies
Lactose intolerance
Eating or drinking too much sugar or artificial sweetener
Certain antibiotic medications

Chronic diarrhea is diarrhea that lasts longer than 2-4 weeks and is less common. Like acute diarrhea, it can be caused by a bacterial, viral or parasitic infection. Chronic diarrhea might also be triggered by underlying inflammation in the body, genetic or autoimmune conditions such as celiac disease or inflammatory bowel disease, or functional GI disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome.

What can I give my child to stop diarrhea?

Usually, medicine is not necessary to treat diarrhea in kids. In most cases, acute infectious diarrhea will stop when the body clears out the infection.

"Diarrhea is like a cough when you have a cold. Your gut is trying to get the bad stuff out,” explains Dr. Lazar. "If you slow down the gut with an anti-diarrheal medicine during infectious diarrhea, you're keeping the infection inside.”

If your child's diarrhea lasts more than a few days, check with your pediatrician to determine the cause and best treatment. For chronic diarrhea, your doctor might suggest a change of diet, medication or other ongoing treatment.

Information about diarrhea medicine for kids

Generally, antibiotics are not used to treat infectious diarrhea in children.
Always check with your doctor before giving your child over-the-counter diarrhea medications such as Imodium and Pepto-Bismol.
For some types of infectious diarrhea, probiotics may be helpful. You can purchase probiotics over the counter in liquid and pill form. Make sure to buy the version that is "for children.” Check with your doctor before using probiotics if your child is under age 3.
Do not give any type of medication to children under age 3 without first consulting your physician.

What are home remedies for diarrhea in kids?

There is no one specific food, drink or home remedy that will stop your child's diarrhea. The best treatment for your child's diarrhea is supportive care. To provide relief from diarrhea symptoms, focus on:

Keeping your child hydrated
Offering a variety of nutritious foods
Identifying triggers or problem foods

"With diarrhea, the body loses salts and electrolytes, so it's very important to help your child stay hydrated,” says Dr. Lazar. "Avoid juice and other sugary beverages.”

To keep a child with diarrhea hydrated, offer plenty of fluids, such as:

Water
Broth or soup
Pediatric electrolyte solutions in liquid or freezer pop form
Sports drinks, such as Gatorade or Powerade (choose low-sugar varieties)

What should you feed a child who has diarrhea?

If your child has diarrhea, it's important to feed them a healthy, well-balanced diet in addition to plenty of fluids. In the past, doctors suggested the "BRAT” diet (bananas, rice, applesauce and toast) as a solution to help children with diarrhea. Now, many doctors don't recommend it.

"The BRAT diet is restrictive and does not necessarily help stop diarrhea,” explains Dr. Lazar. "Instead, we recommend that children continue to eat a nutritious, well-rounded diet, as there is evidence that the intestine heals when the child is fed.”

For breastfed babies and children, breast milk continues to be a great option for nutrition through diarrhea. "Breast milk is easily absorbed and has more nutrients than electrolyte solutions,” says Dr. Lazar. However, parents should keep in mind that infants, especially newborns, are very susceptible to dehydration with diarrhea, so if you notice any change in a baby's stool pattern, you should contact your pediatrician.

In certain cases of diarrhea, your child's pediatrician might suggest a dairy-free or low-sugar diet – on a short-term basis. If your child's diarrhea persists, try keeping a food diary. For some people, certain foods can trigger diarrhea. For example, some patients with irritable bowel syndrome notice that high-fat, high-sugar or spicy foods tend to cause problems. For some children, gluten or dairy might trigger diarrhea. If you sense that a particular food is causing a problem for your child, write it down and discuss it with your doctor.

Will fiber or certain foods stop my child's diarrhea?

Fiber is often used to regulate bowel movements and can be used in both constipated and diarrheal states, depending on the type of fiber in the food. Pectin, a naturally occurring substance in food, can also be used to thicken stools. Certain fiber-rich foods may help slow your child's diarrhea. High-fiber foods that may help with diarrhea include:

Apples (not the skin)
Bananas
Barley
Oats
Beans
Peas
Sweet potatoes (not the skin)

Discuss with your doctor if a fiber supplement is appropriate to give your child.

When should I take my child to the doctor for diarrhea?

Call a physician about diarrhea if your child:

Is less than 6 months of age
Has blood in the stool
Shows signs of dehydration (low urine output, no tears, no spit in the mouth, excessive sleepiness or low activity level)
Is vomiting
Has a high fever that does not improve with fever medication
Has abdominal distention (swelling or enlargement)
Has a history of abdominal surgeries
Shows symptoms lasting longer than 2-3 days

"Even if your child is staying hydrated, I would recommend going to the pediatrician if the diarrhea is not improving after two or three days – just to make sure no other evaluations are needed,” recommends Dr. Lazar.

Learn more about childhood diarrhea and gastroenterology

The Pediatric Gastroenterology Division at Children's Health offers specialized programs to help children and their families manage a wide range of gastrointestinal conditions. Learn more about our GI program, services and support we offer children and families.

Children’s Health Family Newsletter

Get health tips and parenting advice from Children’s Health experts sent straight to your inbox twice a month. Sign up now.

Diarrhea in Children | Johns Hopkins Medicine

What is diarrhea?

Diarrhea is when stools (bowel movements) are loose and watery. Your child may also need to go to the bathroom more often.

Diarrhea is a common problem. It may last 1 or 2 days and go away on its own. If diarrhea lasts more than 2 days, your child may have a more serious problem.

Diarrhea may be either:

Short-term (acute). Diarrhea that lasts 1 or 2 days and goes away. This may be caused by food or water that was contaminated by bacteria (bacterial infection). Or it may happen if your child gets sick from a virus.
Long-term (chronic). Diarrhea that lasts for a few weeks. This may be caused by another health problem such as irritable bowel syndrome. It can also be caused by an intestinal disease. This includes ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, or celiac disease. Giardia may also cause chronic diarrhea.

What causes diarrhea?

Diarrhea may be caused by many things, including:

Bacterial infection
Viral infection
Trouble digesting certain things (food intolerance)
An immune system response to certain foods (food allergy)
Parasites that enter the body through food or water
Reaction to medicines
An intestinal disease, such as inflammatory bowel disease
A problem with how the stomach and bowels work (functional bowel disorder), such as irritable bowel syndrome
Surgery on the stomach or gallbladder

Children who visit some foreign countries are at risk for traveler's diarrhea. This is caused by having food or water that is not safe because of bacteria, viruses, or parasites.

Severe diarrhea may mean a child has a serious disease. Talk with your child's healthcare provider if symptoms don’t go away. Also talk with the provider if symptoms stop your child from doing daily activities. It may be hard to find out what is causing your child’s diarrhea.

What are the symptoms of diarrhea?

Symptoms can occur a bit differently in each child. They can include:

Cramping
Belly (abdominal) pain
Swelling (bloating)
Upset stomach (nausea)
Urgent need to use the bathroom
Fever
Bloody stools
Loss of body fluids (dehydration)
Incontinence

The symptoms of diarrhea may look like other health problems. Severe diarrhea may be a sign of a serious disease. Make sure your child sees his or her healthcare provider for a diagnosis.

How is diarrhea diagnosed?

The healthcare provider will ask about your child’s symptoms and health history. He or she will give your child a physical exam. Your child may have lab tests to check blood and urine.

Other tests may include:

A stool culture to check for abnormal bacteria or parasites in your child’s digestive tract. A small stool sample is taken and sent to a lab.
A stool evaluation to check the stool for blood or fat
Blood tests to rule out certain diseases
Imaging tests to rule out structural problems
Tests to check for food intolerance or allergies
A sigmoidoscopy. This test lets the healthcare provider check the inside of part of your child’s large intestine. It helps to tell what is causing diarrhea, stomach pain, constipation, abnormal growths, and bleeding. It uses a short, flexible, lighted tube (sigmoidoscope). The tube is put into your child’s intestine through the rectum. This tube blows air into the intestine to make it swell. This makes it easier to see inside.

How is diarrhea treated?

Treatment will depend on your child’s symptoms, age, and general health. It will also depend on how severe the condition is.

Dehydration is the major concern with diarrhea. In most cases, treatment includes replacing lost fluids. Antibiotics may be prescribed when bacterial infections are the cause.

Children should drink lots of fluids. This helps replace the lost body fluids. If your child is dehydrated, be sure to:

Offer drinks called glucose-electrolyte solutions. These fluids have the right balance of water, sugar, and salts. Some are available as popsicles.
Avoid juice or soda. They may make diarrhea worse.
Not give plain water to your baby
Not give too much plain water to kids of any age. It can be dangerous.
Keep breastfeeding your baby. Breastfed babies often have less diarrhea.
Keep feeding your baby formula, if you were already doing so

What are the complications of diarrhea?

The greatest complication of diarrhea is dehydration. This is more likely with young children and those with a weakened immune system. Dehydration can be mild, moderate, or severe. Mild dehydration is the loss of fluid. Moderate or severe dehydration puts stress on the heart and lungs. In the worst cases it can lead to shock, which is life-threatening.

What can I do to prevent diarrhea?

Proper handwashing can reduce the spread of bacteria that may cause diarrhea.

A rotavirus vaccine can prevent diarrhea caused by rotaviruses. Ask your child's healthcare provider which vaccines are right for your child.

When you travel, make sure anything your child eats and drinks is safe. This is even more important if you travel to developing countries.

Travel safety tips for drinking and eating include:

Not drinking tap water or using it to brush teeth
Not using ice made from tap water
Not drinking unpasteurized milk (milk that has not gone through a process to kill certain bacteria)
Not eating raw fruits and vegetables unless you wash and peel them yourself
Not eating raw or undercooked meat or fish
Not eating food from street vendors or food trucks

Talk with your child's healthcare provider before traveling.

When should I call my child's healthcare provider?

Call your child's provider if your child is less than 6 months old or has any of the following symptoms:

Belly pain
Blood in the stool
Frequent vomiting
Doesn’t want to drink liquids
High fever
Dry, sticky mouth
Weight loss
Urinates less frequently (wets fewer than 6 diapers per day)
Frequent diarrhea
Extreme thirst
No tears when crying
Sunken soft spot (fontanelle) on baby’s head

Key points about diarrhea

Diarrhea is loose, watery stool. Your child may also have to go to the bathroom more often.
It may be caused by many things, including bacterial infection or viral infection.
Dehydration is the major concern with diarrhea.
In most cases, treatment involves replacing lost fluids.
The rotavirus vaccine can prevent diarrhea caused by that virus.
Proper handwashing can help prevent diarrhea.
When you travel, make sure anything your child eats and drinks is safe.

Next steps

Tips to help you get the most from a visit to your child’s health care provider:

Before your visit, write down questions you want answered.
At the visit, write down the names of new medicines, treatments, or tests, and any new instructions your provider gives you for your child.
If your child has a follow-up appointment, write down the date, time, and purpose for that visit.
Know how you can contact your child’s provider after office hours. This is important if your child becomes ill and you have questions or need advice.

how to treat and how to stop diarrhea with and without fever

Diarrhea is a fairly common problem in children. Its causes may be different - malnutrition, intestinal infections, taking certain medications, an allergic reaction to certain foods.

Types of diarrhea in a child

According to their varieties and origin, the following types of diarrhea are distinguished: infectious, alimentary, dyspeptic, toxic, drug-induced and neurogenic.

Non-infectious

Non-infectious types of diarrhea include: alimentary, dyspeptic, toxic, drug-induced and neurogenic.

Infectious

Diarrhea can be caused by a viral or bacterial intestinal infection.
Viral infections include:

Adenovirus infection . In this disease, the virus infects the intestinal mucosa, upper respiratory tract, and eyes. Against the background of elevated temperature, abdominal pain and diarrhea are added to the symptoms of a cold (sore throat, cough, runny nose).
Rotavirus infection or "intestinal flu" manifests itself in the form of fever up to 38-39 ° C, diarrhea, vomiting.
Enterovirus infection also manifests itself in the form of flu-like symptoms, that is, sore throat, runny nose, cough, to which vomiting, diarrhea, and bloating are added.

Among the most common bacterial infections are:

Samlmonellosis is an intestinal infection caused by Salmonella.
Dysentery infection caused by bacteria of the genus Shigella that affects the mucous membrane of the large intestine.

Causes of diarrhea in a child

Diarrhea in a child is a serious problem that should not be underestimated. However, do not confuse diarrhea with a single liquid stool, which can occur when the child has taken unfamiliar food. Loose stools usually do not cause significant discomfort to children.

Consider the most common causes of diarrhea in children.

Infectious diarrhea is usually caused by a viral or bacterial infection and is most often accompanied by fever.

Alimentary diarrhea may occur in case of prolonged violation of the diet, a monotonous diet poor in vitamins, as well as in case of allergy to certain foods (strawberries, strawberries, eggs, nuts, etc.) or drugs (for example, iodine, sulfonamides, antibiotics, etc.).

Dyspeptic diarrhea occurs with secretory insufficiency of the gastrointestinal tract. This condition develops when the stomach, pancreas, liver or intestines do not produce enough enzymes to break down and digest food.

Toxic diarrhea may be caused by poisoning with heavy metals (eg, mercury, arsenic) and other toxic substances - nicotine, ethyl alcohol. The cause of toxic diarrhea can also be the accumulation of endotoxins in the body, for example, in chronic uremia (increased blood urea due to kidney damage).

Drug-induced diarrhea develops with prolonged use of antibiotics that disrupt the normal intestinal microflora and contribute to the development of dysbacteriosis.

Neurogenic diarrhea is caused by a violation of the nervous regulation of bowel function. This type of diarrhea can develop under the influence of negative emotions (anxiety, fear, excitement).

Treatment of diarrhea in a child

If diarrhea develops in children under 1 year of age, hospitalization is necessary, since the loss of a large amount of fluid can be life-threatening for the child.

How to treat with drugs

Treatment of diarrhea in older children is primarily aimed at eliminating the cause that caused it. For example, taking enzymes with insufficient production by the stomach (pepsin), pancreas (pancreatin, panzinorm, festal, mezim, etc.).

In case of alimentary diarrhea and allergic reactions to food or drugs, adsorbents are indicated, such as Enterosgel, activated carbon, Smecta, Neosmectin, Laktofiltrum, etc.

If you have bacterial diarrhea, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics.

In case of dysbacteriosis, it is recommended to prescribe preparations containing intestinal bacteria, bifikol, bifidumbacterin, etc. General strengthening therapy in the form of a vitamin complex can also be prescribed. In case of indigestion, enzymatic preparations festal, mezim forte, kreon, etc. should be used.

Since a child loses a lot of fluid during diarrhea, it must be replenished with drinking saline solutions (regidron, glucosan, cycloglucosan).

Home treatments

Before the doctor arrives, your baby can be given an antipyretic drug such as paracetamol or ibuprofen. Since the body loses a lot of fluid during diarrhea, which can be very dangerous in children under 3 years old, the child must be given mineral water without gas, cooled boiled water or Regidron. Before the doctor arrives, you can give the child an adsorbent - Enterosgel, Smecta, Neosmectin, etc.

Prevention of diarrhea in a child

The main cause of intestinal infections is non-observance of personal hygiene rules. From an early age, a child must be taught to wash hands before eating, after going to the toilet and walking in the air. Food products must be subjected to thorough heat treatment. Wash fresh fruits and vegetables thoroughly in running water before eating. Subject to all these simple rules, the likelihood of intestinal infection will decrease several times.

how to recognize what to do, what to give the baby for diarrhea?

A mother very quickly learns to recognize what causes her baby to cry: whether it is hunger, a wet diaper, or tummy discomfort. But if in the first two cases the problem is easy to solve, then, unfortunately, it is much more difficult to determine the root cause of discomfort in the abdomen.

Often, young mothers lose their peace and sleep, blame themselves for hypothermia of the baby, non-compliance with the diet and, as a result, spoiled milk, and also find thousands of other probable causes. We warn parents against premature conclusions and offer to understand this delicate issue.

How can you tell if your child's digestion is normal or needs to be corrected? How many times a day should babies have bowel movements and what consistency of stool is acceptable? Let's figure it out.

The following factors may indicate disordered stool in a child of the first year of life:

watery stool with greenery . Liquid gray-green feces, often with impurities of mucus, are typical for children in the first one and a half weeks of life and should not cause concern to parents. The baby's body is in a transitional period, when the intestines adapt to dairy food and acquire their own microflora.
Hardness from feces should not be expected for at least the next three months. Breast milk has a laxative effect, causing soft stools that resemble fermented baked milk or liquid porridge in consistency. The normal color of feces in the first months of life is yellow or mustard. The presence of the smell of milk protein is noticeable.
Thus, loose stools are not in themselves a symptom of diarrhea, but should be alarming in conjunction with a strong fecal odor, bloating, and abdominal cramps;
frequent and profuse stools . The frequency of the stool is also a very conditional sign. The average rate at this time is considered to be "big trips" from four to eight times a day. However, the baby can dirty diapers and literally after every “snack”, that is, up to 12 times daily.
At the same time, even eight excessively liquid bowel movements may indicate problems if, for example, before that the baby pooped four or less times a day, while having a good appetite and healthy sleep;
weakness, anxiety, crying . The slightest change in the mood and behavior of the child will not hide from the sensitive mother's attention. If an active and smiling baby has become lethargic, refuses the usual games and sleeps more than usual, this is a reason to be wary. Physical weakness against the background of frequent urination can signal a lack of beneficial bacteria in the microflora that help digest food and absorb nutrients.
Indigestion is a rather painful phenomenon even for adults. And for kids, this is a test. Pain in the abdomen can cause whims, prolonged crying, night awakenings. Even in the absence of other symptoms, if this continues for more than one day, you need to see a doctor;
blood, mucus or foam in the stool . Bloody, foamy impurities and mucus in the stool can seriously alarm moms. At the same time, foam in loose stools can occur due to improper attachment to the chest, which is not so difficult to eliminate. Foaming is possible if the baby receives only foremilk, that is, he is not admitted to the “food source” long enough or the mother alternates breasts too often. When feeding is established, bubbles and foam in the feces are no longer detected.
Mucus in moderate doses should also not cause parental concern. Another thing is if orange or green flakes are present in the mucus. This is how salmonellosis or coli infection often manifests itself.
Dangerous diarrhea with bright scarlet blood blotches. It may indicate intestinal colitis, which causes inflammatory and dystrophic changes in the intestine, or dysentery, an acute intestinal infection;
temperature increase . High temperature in combination with loose stools can be a symptom of non-infectious diarrhea: this is how the body reacts, for example, to teething, which is also indicated by swollen gums and abundant saliva. In this case, you just need to help the baby get distracted and endure two or three painful days, after which the first teeth will appear. But infectious diarrhea requires immediate medical attention.

As you can see, the symptoms of diarrhea in infants are sometimes a variant of the norm, but can also indicate conditions that are dangerous to health. When you can cope on your own, and when you definitely need to see a doctor, how to treat diarrhea in a child depends on the root cause of the stool disorder.

Why a baby has diarrhea: possible causes

Diarrhea in a baby can be caused by various reasons. Diarrhea can be manifested by influenza or tonsillitis - a serious test for the fragile immunity of the baby. It is possible to assume acute respiratory infections in the presence of cough, nasal congestion, redness and swelling of the nasopharyngeal organs. The best solution is to call a pediatrician at home. If the parents also noticed a rash, you should call the doctor immediately: perhaps the baby has caught scarlet fever, measles or rubella.

Diarrhea can also indicate an intestinal infection or food poisoning: for example, if the child has eaten expired or allergic foods. A disorder in the stool of a newborn can also be provoked by the use of “undesirable” foods by a nursing mother, such as mushrooms, sausage, soda, citrus fruits.

Diarrhea, coupled with fever, is found in serious surgical problems: peritonitis, appendicitis, volvulus. Often, pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract are also accompanied by vomiting.

One of the most common causes of loose stools in a baby is dysbiosis - a violation of the quantity and composition of beneficial intestinal microflora. Nine out of ten babies under the age of one experience this phenomenon, WHO does not even classify it as a disease. More often and longer diarrhea against the background of dysbiosis occurs in weakened, premature babies.

Causes of dysbiosis and, as a result, diarrhea in infants can be as follows:

late attachment to the breast . Even a half-hour delay between childbirth and the first feeding can adversely affect the health of the baby. Colostrum is rich in components that stimulate the development and growth of bifidobacteria, and their deficiency can manifest as diarrhea in a newborn. For the mother, the consequences are also unpleasant: this is fraught with a decrease or even disappearance of milk, a longer and more painful period of postpartum rehabilitation;
artificial feeding . High-quality and carefully selected milk formula is a worthy alternative to mother's milk, but it cannot fully replace it. Together with mother's milk, the baby receives immune protection, which helps his intestines to suppress the growth of pathogenic bacteria and increase the number of beneficial microorganisms;
inadequate or improper nutrition . A balanced diet and a regulated diet are the basis for proper physical development, well-being and mood of the baby;
lactose intolerance . The rejection by the child's body of milk protein, one of the foundations of nutrition for babies up to a year old, is a big problem. By assimilating lactose, the body receives the "bricks" necessary for the growth and development of cells. And loose stools are the lesser of the evils caused by lactose intolerance;
diseases causing malabsorption in the intestines . The syndrome of maldigestion (incorrect digestion) can be caused by various reasons. The most obvious are inflammatory or chronic diseases of the digestive tract: stomach, pancreas, small intestine. Among them: gastroduodenitis, peptic ulcer, ulcerative colitis. But malabsorption of nutrients can also be caused by malfunctions in other organs and systems, such as the liver or the cardiovascular system. Only medical diagnostics and test results can indicate the root cause of health problems;
allergic diseases . Food allergies and atopic dermatitis also often lead to loose stools. Unfortunately, allergies are the scourge of the modern world, and a rare person has not encountered manifestations of this autoimmune disease. Diarrhea is one of the attempts of a small body to resist allergens, to physically get rid of them. Unfortunately, this does not always turn out to be an effective measure in the fight against the disease - rather, on the contrary. Due to insufficient intake of nutrients, the body quickly depletes energy reserves, weakens. If you suspect an allergy, you should contact your pediatrician as soon as possible and consult an allergist;
acute infectious diseases . Intestinal infections, flu and other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract of the child can also respond with loose stools. This is a self-purification mechanism, the release of pathogenic microbes from the body. However, the efforts of a fragile infant organism, as a rule, are not enough, medical assistance is needed;
prolonged use of antibiotics and other drugs weakens the immune system and destroys the healthy microflora involved in the breakdown and assimilation of food. Antibiotics are equally merciless to both pathogenic and beneficial bacteria. After completion of the course of treatment, the number of "correct" microorganisms must be urgently restored.

Only a pediatrician, infectious disease specialist, allergist or other narrow specialist can answer why a child has diarrhea in a particular case.

What to do when a child has diarrhea

The main advice for mothers: do not be afraid to tell the doctor about the problem, even if friends and relatives say that this is normal and will soon go away on its own. Diarrhea that does not stop for several days can be a symptom of a serious illness that needs to be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible.

What can you give a baby for diarrhea? You should not self-medicate: the children's body is too fragile, and experiments are unacceptable. You can give probiotics on your own, but you should still consult a pediatrician before taking them.

Here are some general recommendations for parents who have problems with loose stools in babies. So, if the baby has diarrhea, you need to:

change diapers more often . Diarrhea irritates the delicate skin of a child, and the longer it comes into contact with stool, the greater the discomfort of the child. In addition, even the most breathable diaper creates a greenhouse effect, and bacteria develop in the heat, attacking the skin and genitourinary system of the crumbs. This causes inflammation and infection, such as cystitis;
give plenty of fluids . If the baby has loose stools, there is a large loss of water, the body is dehydrated. The lack of fluid, which is the basis of life, leads to the failure of many important processes. It is necessary to prevent dehydration and water the child more often than usual. The additional intake of water is also useful in that, along with it, toxins and bacteria will be washed out of the gastrointestinal tract, which will speed up recovery;
remove food . If the child has just begun to get used to a new food and this coincided with an attack of diarrhea, then complementary foods should be abandoned. Diarrhea can be a reaction to inappropriate food. And even if it’s not about her, it’s better to return to proven and more familiar food for the baby during the fight against the disease;
give rice water . This advice is suitable for parents whose baby is over nine months old. Rice water is a centuries-old remedy for improving digestion and fixing stools. Rice not only does not cause food allergies, but can also help in the fight against it: it binds and removes toxins and allergens from the body;
apply probiotics . To restore normal intestinal microflora, it will be useful for a child to drink probiotics. Since the composition of the intestinal microflora is diverse, it is better to give the child a combined complex of bifidus and lactobacilli. It will be useful for nursing mothers and themselves to drink a course of probiotics, which will enter the baby's digestive system with milk.
Learn more